Hays Post
HAYS – The Hays Larks ran their winning-streak to six-games Wednesday night with a doubleheader sweep of the Western Nebraska Pioneers at Larks Park. The first game was a makeup from Tuesday’s rainout and the Larks wasted no time, scoring 11 runs in the bottom of the first and went on to win 11-2. They walked it off in game two on Wilbert Espinal’s RBI double of the ninth for a 3-2 win.
The Larks (10-2, 7-1 RMBL) are off Thursday before opening a three-game weekend series with the Gameday Angels Friday at 7 p.m. at Larks Park.
Game 1: Larks 11, Western Nebraska 2 (7 innings) The Larks scored all of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. They had six hits and six walks in the frame in which they sent 15 batters to the plate.
The Pioneers scored their two runs in the fourth.
Trent Baker, Garrett Gruell, Will Carpenter and Houston Russell all had two hits. Carpenter drove in three runs while Russell had two RBIs.
Aiden Schmidgall (1-0) pitched three hitless innings and was credited with the win.
Game 2: Larks 3, Western Nebraska 2 Wilbert Espinal’s one-out double in the bottom of the ninth scored Kaiden Ashton with the game-winner. Ashton singled with one out then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Garrett Gruell was intentionally walked setting up Espinal’s heroics.
Garrett Gruell gave the Larks the early lead with an RBI single in the first which scored Kaleb Duncan. After the Pioneers grabbed the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth, Gruell tied it up in the bottom of the inning with a single which scored Duncan.
The Larks had 12 hits but stranded 12 baserunners in the game.
Trent Baker (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win. Starter Ismael Cordoba pitched three scoreless innings. Mack Ortner gave up two runs on two hits over two innings then Logan LaPeirre followed with two hitless innings with five strikeouts. The four combined to strikeout 12 Pioneer batters.